More than three million Palestinian refugees are currently living in camps across the Middle East, this being the result of two major mass expulsions from their homeland by Israel in1948 and 1967.These refugees are increasingly feeling forgotten and isolated. On the one hand, Barak has publicly rejected their return to their original homes in what is now thoroughly Israel. On the other hand, they fear that the Palestinian leadership is submitting to Israeli pressures in the final status negotiations, which they rightfully interpret as potential “compromise at their expense.”

A final Palestinian/Israeli peace agreement must deliver a just solution to the refugee issue, and this can be embodied only in the recognition of their right to return to the very land from which they were expelled, which is clearly outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 194. Furthermore, Israel must particularly acknowledge its responsibility to the human tragedy it has inflicted on the lives of millions of Palestinian refugees as a result of its occupation of Palestinian land.

The question of Palestinian refugees must be distinguished from the other final status issues; i.e. water, Jerusalem, borders, and settlements. It is primarily an issue with clear humanitarian as well as political dimensions. Therefore, a marginalized or excluded refugee population is bound to fuel the continuation of conflict and undermine any potential agreement that does not put an end to their victimization.